WE EXTEND A SPECIAL WELCOME to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, gay, confused, filthy rich, comfortable or dirt poor.

We extend a special welcome to wailing babies and excited toddlers.

We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or just growl quietly to yourself. You’re welcome here if you’re just browsing, just woken up or just got out of prison. We don’t care if you are more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury, or haven’t been to church since Christmas ten years ago.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome keep-fit mums, football dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you are having problems, are down in the dumps or don’t like ‘organised religion’. (We’re not too keen on it either!)

We offer a welcome to those who think that the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or are here because granny is visiting and wanted to come to church.

Parish in Transition

In the absence of a parish priest, please contact:

Parish Wardens: Paul Gribble and Bill Woods

For weddings, baptisms, funerals and church services:  David Watters and Margaret Sylvester-Thorne

Children’s work: David Watters and Margaret Sylvester-Thorne

Messy Church: Evelyn Reed

For buildings and general parish enquiries: the Parish Wardens:   Paul Gribble and Bill Woods

For Safeguarding:  Margaret Sylvester-Thorne

Pastoral Visitors Team:  Pat Paxton

Parish Giving Scheme and Finances: the Treasurer, Fiona Liddicoat

Electoral Roll: Brenda Daw

Enquiries about individual churches:

Downderry:  Steve Liddicoat

Hessenford: Fran Moore

St Germans: Richard Laugharne

Tideford: contact Parish Wardens

Hire and other info on St Germans Priory Church for events:

The St Germans Priory Trust:   www.stgermanspriory.info

Hire of the Church Hall in Hessenford:   http://www.4clubs.biz/timeslot/hessenford2/

The parish email address for all emails is:

admin@stgermansparishes.com

They will be forwarded to the appropriate person.

Parish Phone 07557 302 255

~   November events in the Parish   ~  

Transition Update

no change from October’s update!

The Transition – and where we are in the appointment process…..

The team appointed by St Germans Group PCC to oversee the selection of the next parish priest met with Rev Lynn Parker from the Benefice of Torpoint with Sheviock and Antony on August 10th. Rev Chris Painter our Rural Dean also attended the meeting.

It is important to understand that this meeting was clearly defined from the outset as a ‘conversation’ with Rev Lynn, exploring our needs, hopes and vision for the future of the parish and getting her reaction and input. It was not a job interview, rather part of a larger process, as below.

The meeting with Rev Lynn was fruitful and pleasing all round. Her enthusiasm was most welcome and responses on both sides were positive. Rev Lynn was very well prepared for the meeting and had obviously put time into finding out as much about us as she could. We do not have any formal reaction from Rev Lynn following the meeting.

That conversation was, however, only a part of the much larger process that is the Pastoral Re-organisation plan and it’s important that we now put this conversation with Rev Lynn in context.

The Parish Warden, Paul Gribble, spoke with Rev Audrey, Archdeacon following our conversation with Rev Lynn. She explained that there are a series of dates and milestones ahead marking out each stage of the re-organisation process.

• The first of these is September 3rd. All parties – the various PCCs, the Patrons – must first respond. It may be that an extension of that date is requested. We have already positively responded. Following receipt the responses will obviously need to be considered. If there are difficulties then further discussions and negotiation will be required.
• Assuming this milestone is successfully passed, the next stage is public advertising of the re-organisation of the plan – notices everywhere – and anyone in the public arena can make a response. We don’t know what date that then takes us to, but our guess is the end of the year.

We didn’t discuss past that point, except to note that although this appears to be a bigger process than perhaps anticipated, assuming all goes well, it will still be a lot quicker than the standard appointment process, and we should be encouraged by this. At the end of the process recommendations will be made to the Bishop.

In summary! 

The St Germans Group Parish has completed our part of the wider re-organisation process as far as possible.

We can say that we had a fruitful and positive meeting with Rev Lynn, but that meeting is part of the larger re-organisation process and we now have to wait for the outcome of those other processes before anything else will happen.

We ask for your prayers ……………….

Parish Lunches

The parish lunches take place weekly on Wednesdays at 12 noon in St Nicolas Church, Downderry.

All are welcome to come for a tasty three course meal, good company and fellowship 

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November’s Coffee Morning  and Soup and Pud Lunch

 Saturday 17th November from 10.30am to 1.30pm

All in the parish and visitors are invited to coffee and lunch and to browse the local group and charity stalls.

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